Loose-leaf binder.



A. LANDSBERG '& H. RUBIN.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2), 1916.

1,238, 11 0. Patented Au 28, 1917.

' I r a/ f UNITED, STATES PATENT oEFioE- ALEXANDER LANDSBERG, or NEW YORK, 'AND HERMAN RUBIN, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 21, 1916. Serial No. 85,544.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER LANDsmember so that two or more such members can be easily attached to a folder, pad or the like with any desired spacing apart from each other so as to suit different sizes of papers and punching s.

Another object of our invention is to provide a binder which will not require separate locking means, but will be self-locking.

Another ob ect is to so construct the binder, that in locked position the sheets or leaves can be freely turned in the loop from one end of the latter to the other without being obstructed by the overlapping ends.

A further object of our invention is to make the binder of simple, durable and inexpensive structure.

With these objects in view our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and set forth in the annexed claims.

One embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a folder equipped with our new binders; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an individual binder; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic end view of our new binder in Open position, showing the manner in which the leaves or sheets are inserted; Fi 4 is a similar view as Fig. 3 showing the binder locked, Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Uur new binder consists of a basein form of a plate a having a plane bottom and openings a near its ends whereby the plate can be easily attached by eyelets or otherwise to a folder, pad or other back. Formed integrally with the plate a or suitably secured thereto is a loop consisting of circularly curved resilient members 6, c which project laterally from said plate upward and the free ends I) c of which are adapted to overlap one another so as to normally leave a free space d between themselves sufficiently wide to permit the insertion into the loop of at least one sheet or leaf 6. By depressing the 'member 0 the opening between the ends of the members can be enlarged so that more than one sheet or thicker sheets can be passed into the loop.

By reason of the plane bottom the binder will not be liable to tilt over but will bear on the folder or back in upright position.

When the sheets or leaves have been in:

serted into or engagedwith the loop, the

ends I), c of the members 7), 0 can be inverted, that is, the lower end 0' can be bent outwardly until it is removed from underneath the end Z2" and on relaxing it engages the end I) from above (Fig.- 4\. By reason of their spring force the inverted ends will now contact with one another, the end 0 pressing against the end I) and closing the opening d, so that in inverted position the loop will be closed or locked.

The members I), 0 have convexed inner surfaces and only at their lower parts near theirjunction with the base and at their free ends they are flattened so that the members are resilient and their ends when inverted will not be liable to slip 011 from one an other, as would be the case if made rounded or circular in cross section.

In order that the loop in closed position mavhave a continuously smooth surface free from all protuberances so thatthe sheets or leaves may be freely turned' or folded from one end of the loop to the other, the portion of each member extending between the flattened free ends and the flattened lower part thereof is so shaped that the outer edges 0 thereof protrude from the outer central line of the hollow formed in the outer surface of the members a distance equal to the thickness of the material so that when the ends 6', c are inverted and contact with each other, the total thickness thereof will be equal to the height of the curve figured from the inner central line of the member to the outer edge thereof.

The individual loops or members can be easily attached in a folder, to a pad or the like and arranged atany suitable spacing according to the size of-the sheets or leaves iio to be bound together. In Fig. 1 two loops or binders made according to our invention are shown attached to the inner face of the back i of a folder f.

One of the advantages derived from our invention is that the binders can be manufactured in great quantities of one standard size to be used with folders, pads or the like of various sizes.

Another advantage is that the binder can be easily attached by the user himself to any article capable of being equipped with a loose leaf binder.

And a further advantage is that the binder while it may be made of a single piece combines in itself a lock, so that its manufacture becomes simple and inexpensive.

The construction may obviously be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of our invention and we therefore do not wish to restrict ourselves to the details of the construction described and shown.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A loose leaf binder consisting of a split loop formed by resilient members the free ends of which overlap one another leaving normally an opening between themselves for the insertion and removal of leaves or sheets and which are capable of being inverted so as to lock the loop.

2. A loose leaf binder consisting of a split loop formed by resilient members each having an inwardly convexed circumference flattened at its lower and upper ends, the latter overlapping one another, normally leaving an opening betweenthemselves for the insertion and removal of leaves or sheets and which are capable of being inverted so as to lock the loop.

3. A loose leaf binder consisting of a base, and a loop formed by resilient members projecting from said base and the free ends of which overlap oneanother leaving a free space between themselves for the insertion and removal of leaves or sheets to be bound together and which are capable of being inverted so as to lock the loop.

i 4. A loose leaf binder consisting of a base,

and a loop formed integrally therewith and consisting of resilient members the free ends of which overlap one another leaving a free 'space between themselves for the insertion and removal of sheets or leaves and which are capable of being inverted so as to lock the loop.

5. In a loose leaf binder the combination with a folder, pad, or other back, of individual binders ,capable of being each separately attached thereto and each comprising a split loop the members of which are resilient and the ends of which overlap one another leaving normally a space between themselves and which are capable of being inverted so as to lockthe loop.

6. A loose leaf binder consisting of a back, individual binders each separately attached thereto and consisting of a split loop formed of resilient members the ends of which over lap one another leaving normally an opening between themselves and which are capable of being inverted to lock the said loop.

7. A loose leaf binder consisting of a split loop formed of resilient members each having its free end flat, said free ends being adapted to overlap one another leaving normally an opening between themselves and when inverted to contact with one another locking said loop and rendering the circumference of the loop unbroken.

8. A loose leafbinder consisting of a split loop formed of resilient members having their free ends fiat and adapted normally to overlap one another leaving an opening between themselves for the insertionand removalof sheets or leaves and to be capable of being inverted to close or look said loop, the intermediate parts of the circumference of each member being of a thickness equal to the total thickness of the inverted overlapping flat ends. In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER LANDSBERG. HERMAN RUBIN. Witnesses:

E. D.- JUNIOR, MAX D. ORDMANN. 

